01:45Iran: 'Unforgivable crime' - Khamenei calls for 'capital punishment' for those behind schoolgirls' poisoning
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned a series of suspected poisonings of schoolgirls across the country as 'a major and unforgivable crime' - and called for the death sentence for those found to be responsible - during a speech in Tehran on Monday.
"This is an important issue, if there are really people who are involved in this and if some people or groups are involved in this, this is a major and unforgivable crime," he said.
"If some people are behind these cases which I undoubtedly believe they are and playing a role by any means, the responsible organisations including security and intelligence organisations should investigate and find the origins of this crime, seriously," the leader continued. "They [officials] should find the perpetrators for this crime and condemn them to capital punishment."
Local media organisations have claimed that hundreds of pupils have been affected, with some reporting that toxic gas had led to respiratory issues and other outlets suggesting it could be a premeditated and ongoing attempt to stop the girls receiving an education.
Iran’s prosecutor general has launched a criminal investigation. The country’s police chief Ahmad Reza Radan said last Tuesday that no arrests had been made.
“Our priority is to find the origin of the poisoning of the students, and until then, we will not judge whether it was intentional or unintentional," he said.
Reports of suspected poisonings first emerged in November 2022. The cause remains unclear.
01:45NO Access Israel Media/Persian Language TV Stations Outside Iran/Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned a series of suspected poisonings of schoolgirls across the country as 'a major and unforgivable crime' - and called for the death sentence for those found to be responsible - during a speech in Tehran on Monday.
"This is an important issue, if there are really people who are involved in this and if some people or groups are involved in this, this is a major and unforgivable crime," he said.
"If some people are behind these cases which I undoubtedly believe they are and playing a role by any means, the responsible organisations including security and intelligence organisations should investigate and find the origins of this crime, seriously," the leader continued. "They [officials] should find the perpetrators for this crime and condemn them to capital punishment."
Local media organisations have claimed that hundreds of pupils have been affected, with some reporting that toxic gas had led to respiratory issues and other outlets suggesting it could be a premeditated and ongoing attempt to stop the girls receiving an education.
Iran’s prosecutor general has launched a criminal investigation. The country’s police chief Ahmad Reza Radan said last Tuesday that no arrests had been made.
“Our priority is to find the origin of the poisoning of the students, and until then, we will not judge whether it was intentional or unintentional," he said.
Reports of suspected poisonings first emerged in November 2022. The cause remains unclear.